écurie

Écurie is a French noun that primarily denotes a stable or the buildings and facilities used to house and care for horses. In equestrian contexts, an écurie refers to the stable on a farm or estate where horses are kept, fed, groomed, and trained. A typical écurie includes stalls, a tack room, feed storage, turnout areas, and often an exercise space or riding arena. The word can also describe the group of horses owned by a person or organization, as in “son écurie compte dix chevaux.”

Beyond its literal meaning, écurie is used in sports to describe a racing team or stable. In horse racing, an écurie comprises the trainer’s operation and the set of horses owned by clients that are trained and entered in races. In motorsport, particularly Formula One and other series, French-language media commonly refer to a team as an écurie, highlighting the organizational unit responsible for preparation, management, and competition, for example, “une écurie de Formule 1.”

The term is widely used in French-speaking contexts and can be translated as “stable,” “stables,” or “team” depending on the context. In everyday speech, an écurie connotes the physical stable and the surrounding care operations; in sport, it connotes the competitive team and its operations. The concept emphasizes both the physical housing of horses and the organizational structure behind animal care or competition.